Happy Greens to Help You Heal

We always get to hear: Eat more dark leafy greens - good for your health and well-being!!

To get excited about this is a different matter entirely.
After I read this article, I felt inspired to try out a kale chip recipe. It's gotten me all excited again! PCC's article, "The virtues of greens," explains all the reasons why green vegetables are so good for us.

The color green, which has to do with the plant's chlorophyll, has always been associated with healing. When a vegetable has more chlorophyll, its green color comes in a darker shade. To receive the most benefits of greens, eat them raw or gently cooked! The less you cook greens, the more nutrients your body gets.

"The virtues of greens" touches on the different qualities of these vegetables, like prevention of heart disease, breast cancer, and other cancers; the building of stronger bones; and their ability to remove toxins from our bodies. In the words of Karen Lamphere, "research tells us that vegetables, and especially the green variety, are essential for our health!!"

Make a Rainbow Donation this February! (And get matched!)

Breast, ovarian and cervical cancers affects hundreds of thousands of women every year. Many of whom are our sisters, mothers, nieces, aunts, grandmothers, friends or loved ones. Unfortunately, most of you know someone who has been affected by these cancers, or who is being affected as we speak. Fortunately, there is a way you can give back to this cause, right now.

YWCA Women’s Health Outreach is a program that provides peer outreach, culturally-sensitive breast health education, no-cost mammograms, and information on additional health services for our diverse community. The program offers no-cost mammograms, pap tests and breast exams for income eligible individuals 40 and over. We serve those with limited incomes who are medically underserved, regardless of sexual orientation and/or gender identity. We also focus our outreach efforts on women from African American, Latina, and LBTQ communities.

Every year to coincide with the Pride festivities, YWCA Women’s Health Outreach organizes a Rainbow Health Fair for members of the LBTQ community. At these health fairs, we make free health resources and education available to a population and community that is all too often overlooked by our healthcare system. This year, we are hoping to make it the biggest and best health fair thus far. But, in order to do that, we need your help!

If this is a cause that interests you, please visit our YWCA Donations webpage: http://www.ywcaworks.org/netcommunity/, and click the “donate” button on the right hand side of the webpage. Once on the donation page, select the designation to be the Health Access Department, and in the comments section of additional information, specify LBTQ Health: Rainbow Health Fair. Note that 100% of your money goes directly to YWCA Women's Health Outreach.

And, in the month of February, donations will be matched dollar for dollar - up to $1,000! Consider a tax deductible gift of $10, $25, $50 or more to support the health of women in the Seattle area!

Thank you and be well.